Storing paintings

Our art museum has very limited storage space. Through an inventory
project, we have determined that are shelving organization could be
more efficient if we could store some paintings on their sides.
Thus, a very tall but narrow width piece could be stored on a much
shorter shelf. However, I have always heard that, for most cases,
paintings should be stored vertically, and in the correct hanging
orientation. Could someone set me straight on why it is general
practice to store paintings "upright," what damage might be
inflicted if stored sideways, or if this absolutely should be
avoided altogether? Or, perhaps there is insight to whether certain
media, application methods, and supports would be affected
differently than others.

K.S. Kelly
Associate Registrar
Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery
Lincoln, NE, USA


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:32
                 Distributed: Friday, November 8, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-16-32-015
                                  ***